lunedì 18 marzo 2013

AERIS Talks to Rinat Shingareev – one of Asia’s rising stars in pop art – about his unique visual takes on some of the world’s most famous leaders.

How old are you?

26 years old.

When did you learn to paint and why do you chose to do so figuratively?

Since childhood, I felt a strong attraction to art. I always created something and even during my studies at the art school, where I was able to develop my professional skills, I realized art would be a major part of my life. At the beginning of my career I was interested not only figurative art, but also abstract art. After various experiments I understood that through figurative art I would still be able to realize all my ideas.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small provincial town in Russia. This is a special place with its unusual atmosphere and rich culture. I have very warm memories of this town and at every opportunity I try to visit it at least for a couple of days to see my old friends.

Who influenced you most?

My father had a great influence on me. He was an architect and also drew a lot. I spent a lot of time with him and enjoyed watching him work. Perhaps already in that time he awakened in me an interest in art subconsciously.

What was your inspiration for Berlusconi?

In this work, I wanted to show a strong, charismatic and self-confident man. We must not forget that he is not only a successful politician and businessman but also the person, who also tends to win and lose, to achieve the set goals but also make mistakes. A man, who in spite of various difficulties, continues to believe in himself and his power.

What made you paint Bush as an astronaut?

I wouldn’t like to reveal completely the intention in this work, as each picture has the right to thousands of opinions. The only thing I will say is that this work was painted at the time George W. Bush was finishing his term as President and saying goodbye not only to the electorate but also to the image (of America) he created for all these years.

Obama as a superhero – is this because you see the world as needing a rescuer, or because you think he is strong?

I consider that our world needs help just such a strong man like Obama. I believed in him in the first term and continue to believe that he will be able to improve the economy of the country and change the situation in the world. I’m sure that he will be able to realize completely his presidential program and to achieve all his goals.

What was the greatest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?

I can’t distinguish the most difficult moments in my career because I never focus on the difficulties and always overcome them and achieve my goals. The concept is simple! You just need to understand that in life there are no problems and those difficult situations that meet you on your way, actually introduce new experiences in your life that force to look at things differently.

Do you have any advice to young artist in Asia?

The only thing I could say that the presence of talent does not make the young artist automatically successful. It’s necessary to develop the talent continuously, working on it a 24 hours a day, to look for new and interesting ideas and to realize them in the best way. We live in a world of high technology where you need to use every opportunity to present your art to people around the world. This, I think, is the most simple and at the same time the most difficult key to success.

What do you want to achieve in your work and what does art mean to you?

I’m sure that through my talent and great potential, I can change the world of art to bring pop art to new level. For me, art is a universal means of communication between people around the world. Art is a language that unites people from different cultures and traditions and examines familiar things in a new way.